Completar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of completar — “to complete” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for completar with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. Completar means to complete, and it is used for completing a form, a sentence, a puzzle, a course or a collection: you complete the registration form, you complete a sentence with the right word, you complete the course in June. It is a regular -ar verb, common in school and in administration. Completar is a regular -ar verb, so the notes below explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To see it in a real sentence: Completo el formulario de inscripción.
Present tense conjugation table: completar
Every person of completar in the present tense. The gerund is completando and the past participle is completado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | completo |
| tú | completas |
| él/ella/Ud. | completa |
| nosotros/as | completamos |
| vosotros/as | completáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | completan |
How the present of completar is formed
The present of completar is built from the stem complet- plus the present endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | completo |
| tú | -as | completas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | completa |
| nosotros/as | -amos | completamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | completáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | completan |
For completar there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem complet- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.
When to use the present tense with completar
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly.
Yo completo el formulario de inscripción. — I complete the registration form.
General facts
Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.
Él/Ella completa la frase con la palabra correcta. — He completes the sentence with the right word.
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment.
Ahora, Nosotros/as completamos el puzle por la noche. — Right now, We complete the puzzle in the evening.
Near-future plans
Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.
Mañana, Tú completas el curso en junio. — Tomorrow, You complete the course in June.
Instructions and timeless statements
Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.
Él/Ella completa el formulario de inscripción. — He completes the registration form.
The present vs the preterite
The present and the preterite answer different questions: the present says what happens regularly or right now, while the preterite says what happened once and finished. Compare the same idea in both tenses with completar.
- Yo completo el formulario de inscripción. — I complete the registration form. / Ayer, Yo completé el formulario de inscripción. — Yesterday, I completed the registration form.
- Yo completo la frase con la palabra correcta. — I complete the sentence with the right word. / Ayer, Yo completé la frase con la palabra correcta. — Yesterday, I completed the sentence with the right word.
- Yo completo el puzle por la noche. — I complete the puzzle in the evening. / Ayer, Yo completé el puzle por la noche. — Yesterday, I completed the puzzle in the evening.
Example sentences in the present tense
Seven sentences with completar in the present tense only, covering all six persons.
- Yo completo el formulario de inscripción. — I complete the registration form.
- Tú completas la frase con la palabra correcta. — You complete the sentence with the right word.
- Él/Ella completa el puzle por la noche. — He completes the puzzle in the evening.
- Nosotros/as completamos el curso en junio. — We complete the course in June.
- Vosotros/as completáis el formulario de inscripción. — You complete the registration form.
- Ellos/as completan la frase con la palabra correcta. — They complete the sentence with the right word.
- Yo completo el puzle por la noche. — I complete the puzzle in the evening.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo completa el formulario de inscripción. — Right: Yo completo el formulario de inscripción. — The person matters: completa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is completo.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo completo la frase con la palabra correcta. — Right: Ayer, yo completé la frase con la palabra correcta. — With ayer, use the preterite (completé), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
- Wrong: Using completar where terminar belongs. — Right: Completar means to complete, while terminar means to finish something. — Check the meaning before you choose: completar fits Completo el formulario de inscripción.
- Wrong: Espero que él completa la frase con la palabra correcta. — Right: Espero que él complete la frase con la palabra correcta. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: complete, not the present indicative completa.
Quiz: the present tense of completar
Eight questions on the present tense of completar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el formulario de inscripción. (present tense, yo) A. completo B. completas C. completa D. completamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ la frase con la palabra correcta. (present tense, tú) A. completo B. completa C. completamos D. completas
Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ el puzle por la noche. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. completas B. completamos C. completa D. completo
Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ el curso en junio. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. completa B. completamos C. completo D. completas
Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ el formulario de inscripción. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. completáis B. completo C. completas D. completa
Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ la frase con la palabra correcta. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. completo B. completas C. completa D. completan
Which is the gerund of completar? A. completo B. completé C. completando D. completado
Which is the past participle of completar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. completé B. completado C. completando D. completo
Answer key
- completo — The yo present form of completar is completo.
- completas — The tú present form of completar is completas.
- completa — The él/ella/Ud. present form of completar is completa.
- completamos — The nosotros/as present form of completar is completamos.
- completáis — The vosotros/as present form of completar is completáis.
- completan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of completar is completan.
- completando — The gerund of completar is completando: estoy completando.
- completado — The past participle of completar is completado: he completado, has completado, ha completado.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present tense of completar formed?
Take the infinitive completar, drop the -ar ending to get the stem complet-, then add the present endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of completar is fully regular: the stem complet- plus the standard -ar endings gives every form.
When do I use the present tense of completar?
Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Completo el formulario de inscripción.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of completar?
The present (completo) and the preterite (completé) answer different questions: the present is for habits and for right now, while the preterite is for one finished action. Compare them in the contrast section above.
How do I practise the present of completar?
Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of completar to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the completar examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Completar conjugation — the full conjugation tables for completar.
- Completar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for completar.
- Spanish present tense guide — when and how to use the present tense.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Present-Tense Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in the present tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.